Relieved Fr O’Neill’s stay up after thriller with Erin's Own

A game to decide who would finish in third place in Group 1 of the Co-op Superstores Cork PSHC may seem like nothing. But it was clear to Fr O’Neill’s that it meant everything.

Sun, 07 Sep, 2025 - 18:56

John Coleman, Killeagh

Cork Premier SHC: Fr O’Neill’s 3-19 Erin’s Own 4-14

Twenty minutes after the final whistle blew in Killeagh this afternoon, they were still there. Soaking it in, replaying the key moments, laughing, joking reveling in just being together. Erin’s Own had long trudged off, crestfallen, the tanks empty after giving everything in a thrilling game of hurling. They’ll have to go again against Newtownshandrum in the relegation playoff in a fortnight. Come what may, they’ll be there or thereabouts. They always are.

A game to decide who would finish in third place in Group 1 of the Co-op Superstores Cork PSHC may seem like nothing. But it was clear to Fr O’Neill’s that it meant everything. Their journey to this point meant far more than the 65 or 66 minutes played in the now famous Páirc Uí Chinnéide. Their arrival at the highest level in Cork hurling felt like a pipe dream 20 years ago. This win guarantees a fourth season of hurling on Mount Olympus.

Nobody summed up the feeling better than their manager, Ray O’Neill. “It was a different ask this time. Because it was almost an ask for survival as opposed to our season being over after today. If we lost, we were obviously in a relegation final. We didn’t want to go there. So, we said the ask is different, but the need is the same. You just need to go away out and win the game and see where it takes you. The relief, the relief, just getting over the line. We can breathe now again.”

They did it the hard way. They will say they always do. Goals from Conor Lenihan, Robbie O’Flynn and Peter O’Shea gave Erin’s Own a dream opening half. They led by 3-8 to 0-8 going into first half injury time, and looked sharper, crisper, better. All of their goalscorers had a point to their name too, while Finn O’Brien had clipped over a brace. Millericks Joseph, John and Tom had all scored for O’Neill’s, and while Declan Dalton had 0-5 to his name, he was struggling to get his hands on the ball.

Then, in the third minute of added time, he heaved and hoed around the Erin’s Own ‘D’ before passing to his old partner in crime, Billy Dunne. Dunne rattled the net, and 3-8 to 1-8 at half time felt a hell of a lot better, even if O’Neill admitted that their dressing room wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops.

“It gave us something at half time, but yet, we’d harsh words at half time, let’s not be skirting around with that one! But, the start to the second half, I think fellas were really geared up at half time, we came back out, scored early, scored 1-3 to close the gap and from there on, we always had a chance.”

It only took them seven minutes to find parity. Dalton buried a penalty after Rob Cullinane was fouled Joe Millerick fired over his second point, Dalton tapped over another free, John Millerick scored his second. The rampant John Millerick then arrowed over his third, Dalton tapped over another free and after being three goals down just before the break, they were now two up with twenty to go.

The Caherlag based men were never going to go away though. After absorbing body blow after body blow, they eventually came off the ropes, with O’Brien, O’Flynn, Cian O’Callaghan and the excellent Lenihan all finding their range to put them 3-13 to 2-14 up going into the last ten minutes.

Then came goal number three. Dalton shot, Tom Dillon saved, Robert Cullinane was on hand to poke the rebound to the net. Joeseph Millerick and Kevin O’Sullivan pointed, and all of a sudden, O’Neill’s were 3-16 to 3-13 up with five to play. That soon became 3-17 to 3-14 before Matty O’Riordan fed Ronan Twomey for Erin’s Own fourth goal in the final minute of the game.

A draw would have been enough for O’Neill’s, but Erin’s Own needed the win. But it was O’Neill’s substitutes Tadhg O’Donoghue Brosnan and Peter Hassett who pushed them two clear. However, Erin’s Own willed themselves on one more time, and there was time for a final act.

Dalton fouled O’Flynn 25 yards from goal and while O’Flynn struck the free true, there was no way through. And so it was that one story of 2025 came to an end, while another has one more chapter to be written.

Scorers for Fr O’Neill’s: D Dalton (1-9, 1-7 frees, 0-1 ’65), B Dunne and R Cullinane (1-0 each), Joseph Millerick and John Millerick (0-3 each), T Millerick, K O’Sullivan, P Hassett and T O’Donoghue Brosnan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Erin’s Own: R O’Flynn (1-7, 1-4 frees, 0-2 ’65), C Lenihan (1-3), P O’Shea (1-1), R Twomey (1-0), F O’Brien (0-2), C O’Callaghan (0-1).

FR O’NEILL’S: P O’Sullivan; R Kenneally, T Millerick, M Millerick; E Motherway (JC), D Harrington (JC), M O’Keeffe; K O’Sullivan, Joseph Millerick; R Cullinane, D Dalton, P McMahon; John Millerick, M Wall, B Dunne.

Subs: P Hassett for McMahon (49), T O’Donoghue Brosnan for Motherway (inj, 54), J O’Brien for Dunne (63).

ERIN’S OWN: T Dillon; C O’Connor, C Dunphy, R O’Regan (JC); B Óg Murphy, C Dooley, O O’Regan; M O’Carroll, C McDonnell; F O’Brien, P O’Shea, S Irwin; C Lenihan, R O’Flynn (JC), C O’Callaghan.

Subs: R Twomey for O ‘Carroll (inj, 37), T O’Connell for R O’Regan (51), M O’Riordan for McDonnell (56).

Referee: Ian McCarthy (Bandon).